Something to Die For
by ContraryMaryBee
Summary: Something bigger is going on than Ichigo realizes. Once he's given a chance to go back, what must change to put things back to normal? It's up to him, it's always up to him. R&R Yaoi


:]

So pairing will be yaoi, if you don't like, gtfo.

I'm thinking Urahara, or maybe like Kenpachi, or Grimmjow later on.

Has anyone else realized that Ururu is the most BADASS character ever?

Something to Die For

Chapter 1

Ichigo rubbed his forehead, walking to school. Things were so…bright, sunny, innocent, non-threatening. It was a new experience for him, that's for sure. The war had lasted longer that it should have; he had been about nineteen, twenty when Aizen finally lay dead at his feet. Five years…it's a long time to be fighting.

Just then, he saw those same punks from that fateful day skateboarding down towards him. One of them knocked over a vase of flowers, laughing.

Ichigo could see the soul of a young girl standing behind the telephone pole, sadly staring at her flowers. 'Here we go, then.' Ichigo thought, unable to contain a smirk. Shirosaki, if he could, would have been sitting on the edge of his seat. If it was one thing he loved, it was when King went all bad-ass.

As the punk skateboarded by him, Ichigo lifted his arm and close-lined him across the chest, making him fly off his board and slam harshly into the cement below.

Taking a few steps forward, Ichigo turned when he heard the man's two friends exclaim and stop. He turned and regarded them with barely concealed amusement. Small fry, they were.

"Hey! Who the fuck do you think you are?" one called, standing over his buddy threateningly.

Ichigo wiped his face into a blank expression, "Do you know what those flowers are for?" he pointed a thumb to the broken vase, enjoying it when the three men looked. The one on the ground grunted as he stood up, rubbing at his chest.

'That'll bruise…' thought Ichigo, inwardly smirking.

"Uhh…Isn't that for some girl who got killed here a while ago?" said one stupidly.

He didn't see Ichigo's foot until it was pressed into his face, grinding his head into the pavement.

"Exactly! And you went and broke it!" Ichigo yelled into his face, even as he grounded it into the ground. One of the others, stupid number two, cried out and tried to save his bud from any further pain. Ichigo round-house kicked him into the wall.

"Dammit! Sorry! We'll fix it later!" yelled the one under his foot. Ichigo grunted and stepped off, putting his fists on his hips and using his best scary-face.

"Damn right you pieces of shit! And hope I never see you around here again!" he roared, sending the three punks running. Ichigo couldn't help it when they disappeared; he contained his hysterical laughter to a few small chuckles. Nobody ever said he didn't have self-control.

He walked over to the vase, righting it and then smiling at the young girl who hovered a few feet off the ground.

"There, they won't be bothering you again." He did like kids, he thought, as the young spirit blushed.

"Thank you, Aniki. It's nice to know someone cares." She said quietly, pushing her fingers together. He smiled, and touched her head before wandering off, couldn't be late for school.

School was wonderful, he felt so free. There was no pressing matter in the back of his mind, he was able to breathe evenly. Nobody knew who he was, or what they did in their future. Nobody but him. Orihime was herself, bashful, strange, bubbly all in one. There was no quiet suffering in her anymore. Chad was also the same, a quiet wall that listened to everything around him, and very much alive and breathing. Ishida ignored them, but Ichigo wasn't all that worried. He came around to their side eventually…though maybe he could shorten it a bit…

It was nice to have them all the same again.

Ichigo made sure his scowl was in place before going up to eat lunch on the roof. He had been smiling a little too much… Tatsuki gave him a weird look.

To his surprise he found the girl's group on the roof along with the boys, it was a rare occurrence, but it happened. He couldn't remember if it had happened the last time he met Rukia for the first time. Ichigo wondered if that was a bad thing…he couldn't really make this world any better if he couldn't predict the happenings.

Still, when Keigo tried to hug him, he punched him in the face as always, sat next to Chad, watched Tatsuki protect Orihime from that crazy lesbian girl, Ichigo felt like all was right.

A touch on his knee distracted him, and he looked to find Orihime staring at his worriedly.

"Yes, Inoue?" he said softly, a little bit wearisome of Tatsuki. That girl could jump to conclusions like lightening.

"Are you alright Kurosaki-kun? You seem a bit dazed today. Kind of like yesterday, but your more day dreamy today than confused like yesterday-" the girl was rambling.

"No, I'm alright Inoue. Had a bad sleep is all." Ichigo said, waving a hand.

"Oh Ichigo! So brave to come to school-!" Keigo started to exclaim before Ichigo kicked him in the stomach. I didn't even know what he was trying to say, but it didn't sound good.

"Shut up Asano." Ichigo growled, eyebrow twitching, and everything was back to normal.

Walking home, Ichigo passed a taped off area of the street. Inside, ambulances, police and cleanup crews were working on what he caught were hollow-marks. Claws, footprints, the lot of it. Ichigo stopped for a moment, focusing on looking past his own reiatsu to find the hollows. Explosions erupted just a few streets over, and suddenly he heard and felt the crashes and roars of it.

He ran, skidding to a halt when he caught sight of a bug-like hollow, crawling after the spirit of the young girl he had met in the morning. "Hey! Run!" he yelled at her, waving his arm. She was panicked, and ran towards him. He caught her arm and ran with her, keeping her standing. The hollow gave an unintelligible cry and scurried after them. Ichigo felt Rukia's painfully familiar spirit energy a moment before she appeared.

Looking just as small as he remembered, she coldly cut the hollow in two, standing silently. Ichigo panted, "Who is that?" he said, for the benefit of the little girl who clutched him around the waist. Rukia ignored him with her usual Kuchiki décor, and shunpoed off to some unknown location.

The young girl tugged on my shirt, "What do I do now Aniki?" she asked softly, carefully eyeing the places the hollow tore up. People were beginning to crawl out of their holes, Ichigo noticed with distaste. Humans were so fearful.

"Go back to your home," Ichigo told the girl, "You'll be taken care of shortly I'm sure."

The girl nodded and floated off, and Ichigo was left to walk home. It was beginning to speed up, he thought.

Shiro was humming, Ichigo noticed, as he opened his door. Dodging his father out of habit, he nodded to his sisters and went upstairs. Now, it would be only be a few hours, when the sun was down. '_the hell are you humming?' _asked Ichigo, wondering where Shiro had ever heard something like this, the lilting slow hum he was doing now.

'**It's just bouncing around back here king, stuffed into a very small window. Zan says it's a memory, but meh. I just think it sounds cool.'** Said his hollow.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, '_You know, you've really mellowed out.'_

'**I have not!'** he sounded appalled, "**I'll beat your ass black and blue for even suggesting it!'** Ichigo had a small vision of his shaking his fists at the sky.

'_Yeah, sure. Wake me up when Rukia gets close…or dinner is done. Whichever.'_ Ichigo yawned, trusting his hollow to do so.

Shiro went back to his humming, that slow, haunting song, and it was to that that Ichigo fell asleep.

Light fingers brushing his face, that low hum in his ears.

He was snuggled to a warm person's side, an arm around him; long hair was brushing over his head in a way that comforted him. Feminine hands held onto him, just as a feminine voice hung in the air.

Ichigo tried to get his eyes open, tried to open his mouth to talk to this wonderful person…but suddenly, the arms left him, leaving him cold in the dark.

No, where'd she go?

"Mom!" he called, sitting up in bed harshly. It was dark out; nobody had disturbed him it seemed. Ichigo breathed in, remembering the dream. What Shiro had been humming, was his mother's lullaby. It had been so long. Shiro himself was quiet, seeming to be just as preoccupied with the memory as Ichigo.

Ichigo shook his head. He couldn't afford to think about this now. Rukia just stepped through his wall. For a moment he just looked at her, the cold, expressionless face of a Kuchiki. But he knew who she could be.

Well, time for the show. Ichigo smirked before yelling, "Who the hell are you?"

Rukia ignored him, murmuring to herself, "It's close."

Ichigo jumped up and, with increasing amusement, planted his foot in her backside, sending her to his floor. "Don't talk to yourself! Answer me!" He turned on his light and completely enjoyed the look of complete surprise on her face.

"You…you can see me?" she asked, astounded. He rolled his eyes, "Well, considering that was my foot in your ass, yes, yes I can." He said hotly.

"I see…" she said. Then she was in front of him, "Interesting, your completely human, but you can see spirits." She grasped his chin, high above her head, and turned it this way and that. He hit her hand away and scowled, "So? And you still haven't answered me! Who are you?"

She took a few steps back, returning to Kuchiki decorum. He was quickly beginning to hate that impassive face of hers. "I am what you would call, Death," dramatic pause, "A soul reaper." Ichigo made a show of picking at his ear, "Yeah huh, sure."

She made no move but continued on, "We send souls to the after-life, a place called Soul Society, and we get rid of bad spirits." Now, for the best part, Ichigo remembered, putting his face into a half grimace.

He said, "Yeah, okay, now why don't you just run home you strange little brat?" he patted her head roughly, thoroughly enjoying the tick that appeared on her forehead. But then, she made the Kido and called, "Bakudo 1, Sai!" and he felt his arms becoming tightened painfully behind his back, and he fell face first on the ground.

"Hey! What the hell!" he yelled annoyed. He wriggled a bit, testing the strength of the kido. It was mid-grade, but with a quick pulse of his reiatsu he could break it. But, he let Rukia have her fun for now.

"You would do well to listen." She said, before taking out the thin sword she called a zanpakto. "Hey! What do you think you're doing with that?" Ichigo cried out, allowing a sliver of nervousness to enter his voice. His back was painfully arched, and his chin smashed to the floor. It was incredibly uncomfortable.

But instead she turned it over, her face becoming soft. She said to his right side, "It's okay, I'm going to send you to a nice place now, there is no need to fear." Ichigo peered over and was surprised to find a plus soul hovering there; it seemed to be a business man.

"Oh, oh, thank you!" cried the man as she placed the hilt of her sword on his forehead. He disappeared in a dazzling show of blue light.

Once he was gone, Rukia resumed her stiff stare and sat in the seiza position in from of his crumbled form.

"Now, that was a plus soul. A person who died but did not move on." She continued, but Ichigo stopped listening. Subtly, he twitched a few fingers, trying to get the feeling back into his arms.

'**She's a real wind-bag ain't she?'** said Shiro within his head. Ichigo inwardly snorted, 'That she is.'

He suddenly heard a howling, the hollow! He interrupted Rukia with a yell, "Hey! Do you hear that?" she blinked at him, surprised. She opened her mouth to speak but was stopped by Karin's scream. Reiatsu fell on them like a brick, pinning Rukia to the floor for a second. Ichigo growled, his sisters were in danger! He fought to get to his knees, feeling the restraint pushing.

Yuzu stumbled into his room, coughing and holding her chest, "Ichi-nii! Karin, she's, there's a monster. Save her!" and she passed out in front of him.

Ichigo's anger soared, and he shot to his feet. Rukia ignored him and stepped out, flying down the stairs. Ichigo had trouble getting through the door, but he hurtled down the stairs to stare beside Rukia at the hollow holding his sister.

"Ahh!" Karin cried in pain, lying in the hollow's grip. Ichigo snarled, before focusing his reiatsu around him.

"Wait! How are you..?" Rukia yelled, shocked, even as he broke the kido. Running, he picked up a bat Karin had left lying there and shot at the hollow.

"Let. Her. Go!" he roared as he struck the hollows arm, hard enough to make his arms shake. Apparently it bothered the hollow, as it growled and dropped his sister. Ichigo ran and caught her, speeding her to safety faster than he should have been able to.

"Ooh! I found you!" said the hollow, in a grotesque voice, "Such a tasty smelling soul!" Ichigo's eyebrow twitched. Honestly, he could never get used to hollows…they were so ugly. Though, some soul reapers weren't much better. Like the Twelve division captain. Creepy.

Anyways.

"Hey! You retard!" Ichigo shouted obnoxiously, inwardly rolling his eyes at his character's rashness in the past, "You want me then you fight ME!" He jumped in front of the hollow and held the bat out in front of him, smirking.

The hollow howled and launched at him, but he waited. Waited, any time now, oh there she is.

Rukia took the bite meant for him, falling weakly to her knees before turning and slicing one of it's arms off, keeping it occupied. It swung its other arm into her, sending her into the wall, then fell back into a gap in the air.

Ichigo felt bad, using the female reaper like this, but he wanted to talk to his sword again.

Widening his eyes he stammered, "W-why would you-?" Rukia glared at him, dispute her wounds.

"Humans can't compete with that." She motioned with her eyes to where the hollow had disappeared, holding her injury. Ichigo moved in front of her, "Fine then, tell me what I need to do!" She looked up at him in surprise. Had he been too forceful? Girls didn't like it when he was forceful.

'**But I do kiiiiiing!'** called his hollow with a cackle. Ichigo inwardly shushed him.

Rukia looked up at him, her decision weighing behind her eyes. "Alright, you have to become like me, a soul reaper." She lifted her zanpakto, "put my sword through your heart." Ichigo clenched his teeth, nodding.

He took hold of the blade, feeling her spirit energy rushing through the metal. "My name's Kuchiki Rukia." The small soul reaper said to him, with a small smile.

Ichigo gave the smile back before replying in a soft tone, "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." Without hesitation he pulled to blade through himself, not flinching at the brief pain.

Reiatsu exploded around them, probably alerting every spiritually aware person within the city. As Rukia sat there, now in a simple grey kimono, the hollow appeared just a few yards away from where it had been before.

"Where is it then, tasty soul? Come out!" it hollered, before slumping towards the downed Rukia. Ichigo landed on its shoulder with the lightest of touches. Feeling Zangetsu in his palm again made him smile, he was in his final shikai form already, a large kitchen cleaver with the white bandage.

'_Hello, my old friend.'_ Said the old man from within him.

'Nice to hear you, Zan.' Ichigo toned down his reiatsu output, so it wouldn't crush Rukia nad jumped down before her, ignoring her shocked eyes.

'**Hey old man! Miiiiissss me?'** cackled Shirosaki. Ichigo looked to where the hollow was slowly understanding that he was in front of him.

"Let me eat you!" it cried as it lunged forward. Ichigo chuckled beneath his breath before jumping up and coming down with his sword in its face, relishing in the scream it emitted. When it had disappeared again for good, he turned to Rukia and smiled.

The little Kuchiki looked up at him in shock, and said, "He took all my powers." Obviously she wasn't really paying attention. Ichigo blinked when he felt a very familiar reiatsu land behind him, Urahara Kisuke. Soundlessly, the man came up behind him, and the very instant before he inched a nerve that would knock him unconscious, Ichigo tilted his head and locked gazes with the man, a smirk on his lips.

As darkness invaded his vision, the orange head only say surprised and curious grey eyes beneath a striped hat. Let him chew on that.

Soo new story? I think it has merit.

-mayu


End file.
